Have you ever thought about how nice it would be for your home to produce its own energy? Solar-powered homes are becoming more and more common as homeowners discover all the benefits solar roofs have to offer.
However, many homeowners don’t want the bulky, cumbersome look of mounted solar panels covering their rooftops. This is where a roof-integrated solar system steps in. A seamlessly integrated solar roof provides many benefits to your home and can have great advantages over rack-mounted solar panels. If you’ve been desiring to go solar, here is why a roof-integrated system could be right for your home.
1. Lower Energy Bills and Other Savings
This benefit is not just for roof-integrated solar panels, but the greatest advantage of all types of solar systems comes in the form of savings. Solar roofs can significantly decrease the cost of your energy bills by utilizing the sun’s energy rather than pulling from the energy grid.
On top of the electric savings, did you know that you can also sell your unused electricity? That’s right! If your panels generate more electricity than your home uses, you can sell that excess electricity back to the grid and actually make money off of your investment.
You should also look into your state’s tax benefits for solar panels. Many states offer tax credits or rebates to homeowners, which can help save you money come tax season as well. While New Jersey does not currently offer tax credits, it does offer rebates to qualifying homes, and the state provides a tax exemption on the upgrade of solar panels from your property taxes. This means you will not have to pay property tax for the upgraded amount of the solar panels.
If you are interested in other ways of saving on energy bills, check out our winter energy saving tips for other ideas.
2. Positive Environmental Impact
Pulling energy from the sun is one of the cleanest forms of energy. Much of the electricity running to your house from the grid comes from the usage of fossil fuels, which when burned can produce harmful gases. The use of solar power reduces dependence on and usage of fossil fuels and ultimately lowers your carbon footprint.
3. Lower Profile
Your roof comprises nearly 40% of the visible exterior elevation of your home. You can enrich the look of your home with a well-kept, beautiful roof. Or you can make your home an eyesore with a cumbersome or run-down roof. Large, bulky solar panels, while still providing your home with a positive environmental impact and lower energy bills, can become an eyesore.
But with an integrated solar roof, you can garner all the energy-efficient benefits while having your home looking as beautiful as ever. Integrated solar panels are designed to fit directly onto the shingles of your roof. You cannot even notice them from the ground.
4. Seamless Installation
With an integrated system, you can gain energy efficiency while also maintaining the structural integrity of your roof. Typical solar panels are mounted onto a roof, requiring fasteners to be drilled into the surface of the roof itself to place the mounts. There is no need to drill into your shingles with an integrated system.
An integrated system fastens directly onto the roof deck rather than needing to be drilled into the rafters. Its interlocking features seamlessly integrate the system into the rest of your roof.
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5. Better Pest Protection
Mounted racks provide room for pests to crawl around or even hide. Birds love to build nests under the protection of mounted solar panels. But with an integrated solar roof, pests have no room to burrow or live.
Pest can cause damage to the panels, which leads to expensive repairs. And the more birds nest or pests hide under a panel, the less airflow that panel has, which can cause it to overheat. This can actually cause a decrease in the energy yield of your panels. But there’s no need for worry or added protection like spikes or mesh when the panels are integrated directly into the roof.
6. Increased Moisture Protection
The foundation for any solar roof system is your roof. Therefore, extending the life of your roof is imperative to maintaining your solar panels— and an integrated roof solar system provides better moisture protection for your roof than standard solar panels. Integrated systems are installed with flashing to help prevent water penetration. And because their installation requires no drilling into the roof’s surface, there are fewer areas for water penetration.
7. Increased Home Value
More and more homeowners recognize the value of the energy efficiency of solar panels and are looking for them in a home. Having solar panels can therefore increase your home’s value. However, integrated solar panels have the advantage of being lower profile and not turning your roof into an eyesore, which can make them an even greater investment than regular solar panels.
Evaluate Governing Rules and Regulations Regarding Solar Power
Before you go solar, make sure you are familiar with the laws and local rules for installing home solar units. Many states have laws restricting installation. However, New Jersey homeowners will not come across as many restrictions, as the state is a leader in the solar power movement. New Jersey even approved P.L. 2007, CHAPTER 153, restricting HOAs from completely impeding a homeowner’s ability to go solar, although they can still regulate certain guidelines.
Do your research to know exactly what laws apply to your home, or seek the advice of a solar power installation contractor, as they should be up-to-date on laws and regulations surrounding the installation process.
Get an Integrated Solar Roof Today!
It’s time to add all of the benefits of integrated solar panels to your home. At American Home Contractors, we are both trained, solar contractors and certified roofing contractors. We can help maintain your roof and provide a professional solar installation. Request a quote to see how we can help you go solar today.
